414 RHYNCHOPHORA. [| Hylastes. 
the formation of the thorax will easily separate the species from the 
two preceding. L. 3-3} mm. 
In decaying firs; local, but common where it occurs ; Shirley, Mickleham, Esher, 
Ripley, Cowfold, Birdbrook, West Wickham, &¢.; Windsor Forest; The Holt, 
Farnham ; Hastings district ; Faygate, Sussex; Portsmouth district ; New Forest ; 
Glanvilles Wootton; Bath; Llangollen; Sutton, near Birmingham; Hopwas W ood, 
Tamworth; Chat Moss; Bridlington Quay; Liverpool district, rare; Dunham Park, 
Manchester ; Northumberland and Durham district ; Scotland, common in the bark 
of fir logs, Solway, Forth, Tay, Dee and Moray districts; it appears to be the 
commonest species of Hylastes in some parts of the South of England. 
HYLASTINUS, Bedel. 
This genus has been formed by Bedel for the reception of the single 
species H. obscwrus, Marsh, which has hitherto been included under 
Hylesinus ; it may be distinguished from the latter genus by having the 
anterior coxe widely distant, the first and second joints of the club of 
the antenne large and almost equal and the following very short ; it 
occurs in Western and Central Europe and also in Madeira (Woll. Cat. 
of Mad. Col. p. 99) ; it lives in the thick part of the stems of various 
Papilionaces, especially Trifolium, Ononis, Ulex, Sarothamnus, &c., and 
has been known to do considerable damage to clover fields. The habits 
of the species have been carefully observed and described by Dr. Chap- 
man (Ent. Monthly Mag, vi. (1869) p. 7); he has chiefly found it in 
furze, but has also met with it in broom ; with regard to its occurrence 
at the roots of clover (its recognized habitat) he believes that it may 
attack them, but is inclined to disbelieve that the beetles ever deposit 
their eggs in that plant ; the parent gallery of the insect appears only to 
have one branch, which is very straight, accurately transverse to the 
stem, and 2 of an inch to an inch in length ; the eggs are laid at the 
bottom of little cavities on either side of the burrow, and covered by 
frass, which fills the cavities to the level of the wall of the burrow, of 
which there is usually a small unoceupied portion between each cavity ; 
the number of eggs laid is small, a dozen on either side being above the 
average ; the larve burrow upwards and downwards; many of the 
beetles assume the perfect state in the autumn, and either continue the 
larval burrow untilspring,after the manner of Phle@ophthorus rhododactylus, 
or, escaping, make a fresh longitudinal burrow in a higher portion of the 
same stick in which they hybernate, apparently eating a little all the 
winter; some assume the perfect state during the winter, and nota 
small proportion pass the winter as larve ; the period of oviposition is 
rather later than in P. rhododactylus, and occupies nearly a month. 
H.. obscurus, Marsh (¢rifolii, Mill.). Rather short, subparallel, 
moderately convex, dull, pitchy or brownish, with the elytra lighter 
pitchy or dull red ; upper surface with rather short pubescence ; thorax 
about as long as broad, with the sides slightly narrowed in front, very 
